Overview & Reviews

Mitsubishi has built its brand in the United States with a selection of cars and SUVs that tend to offer above-average performance and style. The parent company has its roots in producing commercial vehicles for its home market of Japan.

A Japanese word meaning "three diamonds," Mitsubishi was founded in by Yataro Iwasaki, a descendant of samurais, in the early 1870s. The company's initial focus was on shipping, but it quickly diversified into areas such as mining and ship repair. In 1917, Mitsubishi unveiled the Model A, Japan's first series production passenger car.

It wasn't until 1960, with the launch of the compact Mitsubishi 500, that the company began producing passenger vehicles on a large scale. That decade also saw the launch of other Mitsubishi light passenger vehicles like the 360 Van and 360 Pickup. The company also distinguished itself on the racetrack during this decade, taking top honors in Japan's Grand Prix.

Mitsubishi's automobile production arm was officially spun off into a company of its own with the establishment of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 1970. The company's Colt made its way to American shores in 1971, the same year in which Chrysler purchased a 15 percent stake in the new company. However, the Colt wasn't sold under the Mitsubishi name, but rather under the Dodge brand, reflecting Chrysler's interest in the company. By the end of the decade, Mitsubishi was producing more than 1 million cars per year.

In 1982, Mitsubishi began selling cars in the U.S. under its own name. Through the '80s it offered a variety of cars for the states, including the subcompact Mirage, turbocharged Starion sports car and midsize Galant sedan. Mitsubishi hit its stride in the '90s, thanks to the popularity of the Eclipse sport coupe and 3000GT sports car in the U.S. and the turbocharged Lancer Evolution in other parts of the world.

Chrysler made the most of its partnership, as it used Mitsubishi platforms under many of its models. The Eclipse, in particular, was a key vehicle produced by the Diamond Star Motors partnership. In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler. Mitsubishi's partnership continued with DaimlerChrysler for a few years but was financially terminated by 2003.

The new millennium has been a struggle for Mitsubishi. Its vehicles have grown stale with consumers and sales have wavered. At one point the company was forced to admit that it had systematically covered up vehicle defects in Japan. On the upside, though, the company's compact, high-performance sedan, the Lancer Evolution, has been a continuing success in the United States. Going forward, Mitsubishi plans to revitalize its brand by developing environmentally friendly vehicles (such as its all-electric "i" hatchback) that are still fun to drive.

User Reviews:

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  Great car - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By brianhinzy89 - June 20 - 10:00 am

  i bought the car about a year and a half ago and it was in great running condition and since then i have been driving it like a bat out of hell and it has held up very nicely i have only had to do routine maintenance and a few cosmetic repairs and the 3.0 V-6 has plenty of power during races and not to mention its easy to work on

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  Much better than Ford Edge - 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By James - June 20 - 10:00 am

  This is my 1st brand new SUV and I am very impressed by how it drives. Not to mention the unbeatable standard "BUMPER TO BUMPER" warranty not just the transmission like all of the American SUVs.

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  You get what you pay for I guess - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By rwilliams148 - June 20 - 10:00 am

  I have had my 2008 Lancer GTS for almost two years now. At first it was great but at 61,000 miles trouble started. My blower motor has already went out and we just recently moved and now have a gravel road. I have dust coming inside the car from my glove box, all vents, my cd player, my steering wheel column, and all the doors. I contacted Mitsubishi about this and they will not do anything. It is a nice looking car but very cheaply made. My alignment has been fixed now 8 times (and I drive normally just more than most people). The steering wheel has started shaking extremely bad but the no one can seem to tell me why. Because of these reasons, I will not purchase another Mitsubishi.

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  Outlander paint problems - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By brad - June 20 - 3:33 am

  Bought 07 Outie as alternative to Rav4. Liked a lot about the Outie - value, exterior and interior styling, instrumentation, sliding rear seats, tailgate and fun to drive temperament. Not bland. Thirsty in the city, unable to get mileage #s anywhere near what Mitsu quotes, however very happy with highway economy. Paint chipping is something terrible. I have driven vehicles for half a year before first chip, this car had significant paint erosion after a couple of weeks city winter driving pavement. Rocker panels and rear wheel flares need to have some rock guard and durability agent put into the paint. Took vehicle to Mitsu dealer after two weeks ownership and 100s of chips to no avail

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  So So of a car - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By DrWankel - June 20 - 12:00 am

  Bought the new gen GT with sun & sound pkg when it first came out and was enjoying it for awhile till just after 2 months the front brake rotors warped. Brought it in to the dealer and after threats I got the rotors warrantied. 2 months later again warped, replaced with aftermarket never again had a problem. The Radio? whats up with the display? my girls saturn has a much better read out, I mean top of the line fact Rockford come on, bad design. NOT EVEN AN IPOD JACK (dealer offers an ipod setup for a cheap $230?!) For a car with its decent performance, the fact tires suck in every way I had to upgrade those too! Overall not impressed, I would never ever buy another.

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  Such an awesome car! - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Kyle - June 19 - 4:23 pm

  I just wanted to weigh in to let potential buyers of the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart know what a great car it really is. I have had this car for about 2 years now, and have driven it really hard. The build quality is impeccable and its reliablity is outstanding. My car handles like a race car and the more miles you put on it, the faster is gets. Its gas mileage is reasonable considering the power and torque you get from the 4 cyl engine. I have had Toyotas and Hondas, and I feel that this Mitsubishi is just as good if not better, plus it has a 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty and free maintenence to boot. In my opinion this is the best 4 door sports car on the road for under $20,000!

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  Fun Drive! - 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By slkdjfod - June 19 - 12:00 pm

  Ive had my Lancer for 9 months now and love it more and more everyday! The only thing I could think to change is that the car could use a 6th gear for highway driving. My MPG is on average around 28 MPG, and that being equal city and highway driving. The only other flaw I could think of is to place the interior light closer to the back seats, because at night there is absolutely no light back there when needed.

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  Transmission Problem - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By richie6 - June 19 - 10:09 am

  BEWARE OF MITSUBISHI GALANT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS (2003 for me) I learned the hard way from a excellent transmission shop about the flaw in my 3.0 V6 model with 4 speed automatic where these where a clip deep inside the tranny breaks! This shop used to keep several extra trannys in the shop fully expecting to have customers come in for this very issue. He told me about it before he even opened it up and proved it to me! These broken pieces, for one scenario, end up in the pump causing your tranny to fail and needs to be rebuilt. One main sympton is it will not go into any gear! Sometimes you hear the rattling as you run it. Get newer kit if you rebuild it!

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  Great car for a great deal. - 2005 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Tennessee driver - June 17 - 1:26 pm

  We wanted to wait a little longer to purchase a new vehicle, but our old car would not wait. We wanted a good car for a relatively low price, and after a little research, we found our car. We have had many compliments on it, and the only problem we have had is the delay on the wipers was slightly off. Otherwise, it has been a great car. We love it, and our son loves that he has more room. My husband is 62" and I am 511". We are both able to sit with the seat all the way back, and someone of our size can still sit behind us. Its great!

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  Leader of the Pack - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Starfather - June 16 - 2:00 am

  I wanted to buy what I considered the best mid-size and mid-price SUV for a tall person. I spent 3 months and test drove 11 SUVs. I read all the guides and compared all the specs. The Endeavor won on power, space, handling, quality control,ride, and features. Overall best SUV for under 30,000!